COLT foals by Dubawi and Galileo lit up the sales ring at Goffs on Friday evening. The Dubawi colt was bought by John Ferguson, advisor to Sheikh Mohammed, for €1.1 million, while Ballyshiel Farm, about which little is known, secured the Galileo colt for €475,000.

Bred by the late Mrs Marguerite Weld and consigned on behalf of her son Dermot Weld, the Dubawi colt is out of the Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nightime. Bidding rose quickly from €100,000 and John Ferguson looked to have it secured when he raised the stakes to €1 million. However British bidder David Bowe, manager of Jeff Smith’s Littleton Stud, made one last bid before Ferguson closed the deal at €1.1 million.

Dubawi is Sheikh Mohammed’s most successful stallion and ran Galileo close in this year’s European sires’ table.

At 6.50pm last night the sole Galileo colt in the catalogue entered the ring. Bred by Des Leadon and Mariann Klay at their Swordlestown Little Stud, the half-brother to Lilbourne Lad was the only Galileo foal to be offered at public auction in Ireland this year. He was bought for €475,000.

Reflecting on the five day November Foal Sale, Goffs' chief executive Henry Beeby: "I nearly don’t need to say it but we are, of course, delighted to have smashed a foal record for the second year in succession as the €1.1 million paid by John Ferguson for the Dubawi colt out of Nightime is an Irish record for a colt foal, comfortably eclipsing the €850,000 we achieved for the colt from the first crop of Sea The Stars in 2011.

"The Dubawi was the highlight of another superb Goffs Foal Sale that has enjoyed a trade of depth, consistency and real fireworks especially for those that appealed the most. That we were entrusted to offer the only Galileo colt foal of the year anywhere is also a wonderful endorsement of the Goffs service and it was fitting that he was the second highest price of the sale.

"Whilst we have not quite kept pace with the records set last year when the sale was topped by the record breaking €1.8 million Frankel filly, and when the average and median were up by 41% and 29%, the statistics are the second best on record which is the cause for some celebration although it must be noted that the clearance rate is less than 2014 which mirrors the trends seen throughout the autumn at the yearling sales to an extent.

"However, this is very much the first choice for the cream of the Irish foal crop every year at a sale at which pinhookers, end-users and international buyers choose to invest and it is revealing that today’s median price actually rose by 6% and the clearance rate was an impressive 84%.

"Indeed, this is another Goffs sale that has truly outperformed the market over the last five years so it was no surprise that we were inundated with entries leading to an additional day at the start of the week which may have been another factor in the reduction of the week’s clearance rate.

"Whilst some of those foals may not have been the most commercial we enjoyed huge interest on every day of the sale and the five days has consolidated the amazing growth of recent years and this sale’s market leading position.

"As ever we are indebted to every vendor and each purchaser whilst I want to make special mention of the Goffs outdoor team who have ensured Kildare Paddocks has looked as immaculate as ever despite some torrential rain at times and when they have worked 24 hours a day to accommodate the inevitable double standings required for a catalogue of this size."

COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR FOAL SALE

OFFERED

2014: 872

2015: 1057

SOLD

2014: 742 (85%)

2015: 809 (77%)

TURNOVER

2014: €27.5 million (+52%)

2015: €25.8 million (-6%)

AVERAGE

2014: €37,068 (+41%)

2015: €31,950 (-14%)

MEDIAN

2014: €22,000 (+29%)

2015: €18,000 (-18%)

SEE RYAN McELLIGOTT'S DAY-BY-DAY SALES REPORT ON THEIRISHFIELD.IE